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LONDON, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Gasoline refining margins innorthwest Europe rose on Thursday after a 9 percent draw in ARAstocks that followed a large U.S. draw boosted expectations thata recent glut was subsiding.
* ARA gasoline stocks independently held in theAmsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp dropped by 9 percent in the week toThursday, Dutch consultancy PJK International said. This was thefourth consecutive week of stocks declines in the region, aresult of continued exports and lower gasoline output fromrefineries in the region.
* Gasoline refining margins gained strongly following anunexpected, large draw in U.S. inventories last week.
* Several cargoes were booked to ship gasoline from Europeto the United States East Coast. Around 1.4 million tonnes havebeen booked on the transatlantic route to load in August,according to Reuters shipping data.
* China has resumed buying of reformate in recent days, withat least one 40,000 tonne cargo booked by AFCO for loading inARA in early September.
GASOLINE
* There were no Eurobob trades during the afternoon tradingwindow. There were no bids or offers.
* Some 8,000 tonnes traded in the morning at $478.50 a tonnefob ARA, up from $462 a tonne. Gunvor and Total sold to Shelland BP.
* Litasco and Shell each sold a barge of premium unleadedgasoline to Total at $501 and $499 a tonne fob ARA, up from $491a tonne.
* Gasoline barge refining margins fell slightly to $7.95 abarrel from $6.56 a barrel.
* The September swap stood at around $487 a tonne at theclose, up from $477 a tonne.
* Brent crude oil futures were up 95 cents at $50.80a barrel by 1540 GMT.
* U.S. August RBOB gasoline futures were up 1.9 percent at 1.5182 a gallon.
* The U.S. gasoline crack
NAPHTHA
* No trades were reported. (Reporting by Ron Bousso, Editing by Ahmad Ghaddar)
